Reinforced-Concrete Highway Bridges in Minnesota MPS is a

Multiple Property Submission The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of Historic districts in the United States, districts, sites, buildings, struc ...

of bridges listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. The submission includes 20 individual bridges. It also includes the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Grade Separation, which comprises 30 bridges built over the

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States fr ...

tracks one block north of Lake Street in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. The submission traces the historical context of reinforced concrete bridge building in Minnesota and cites examples of early and historic bridges. The submission establishes criteria for bridges to be listed on the National Register. The National Register contains four primary criteria: * A. Properties significant to the broad patterns of American history. This Multiple Property Submission selects bridges that are significantly relevant to a region's development and its transportation system. The bridges in the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Grade Separation are listed in this category because while its bridges are not significant engineering achievements, they provided relief to citizens in south Minneapolis who had to deal with train traffic. * B. Properties associated with a significant person in America's past. However, bridges significant in conjunction with their architect are to be listed under criterion C. It is possible, although unlikely, that a particular bridge may be associated with a significant person other than its designer, such as a politician or city official who advocated for its construction. * C. Properties significant for their design and construction methods. The

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehoo ...

, in preparing this MPS, decided to select bridges with important qualities. For example, a bridge that is the oldest of its type, the last surviving member of its type, having the longest span of its type, or associated with a prominent major architect, will be selected as part of this MPS. * D. Properties with information potential likely to yield information pertinent to history or prehistory. This is not applicable to reinforced-concrete bridges in Minnesota. The MPS also documents several eras that were important in reinforced-concrete bridge construction: * Early experimental designs from the 1890s through 1911 * Early standardized designs promoted by the Minnesota Highway Commission from 1912 through 1921 * A period of Minnesota Highway Department, trunk highway, and major urban bridge building from 1921 through 1945 The

Franklin Avenue Bridge The Franklin Avenue Bridge, officially the F.W. Cappelen Memorial Bridge, carries Franklin Avenue over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was designed by Frederick William Cappelen, assisted by Kristoffer Olsen Oustad, both ...

and the

Mendota Bridge The Mendota Bridge (full name Fort Snelling–Mendota Bridge), in the US state of Minnesota carries State Highway 55 (MN 55) and MN 62 over the Minnesota River between Fort Snelling and Mendota Heights. It is the final bridge over t ...

are listed in the MPS as examples of monumental concrete arch bridge construction, but these bridges were listed on the National Register before the MPS was submitted.

References

{{reflist Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submissions Concrete bridges in the United States